Student observers and student teachers - DRAFT

Collegial Circle Members - please review this document, make changes, add details, etc. We will finalize this document at our next meeting in February. Thanks!

· Offerings for cooperating teachers – one day workshop with info about how teachers are trained, what courses they take, etc.
· Chairs interview student teaching candidate prior to being approved by the district à provide direct feedback to schools about candidate’s qualifications
· Chairs would like to learn more about the methods courses that candidates are taking (i.e., is it a specific WL methods course, or a general teaching methods course?); are students involved in real-life experiences (i.e., simulations) during the methods course?
· Are students being videotaped during sample lessons?
· Use of textbooks? Glissan; Omaggio-Hadley; Curtain and Pesola
· Knowledge of technology à uses in WL classroom
· Do students take courses in addition to student teaching? If so, students can’t get the full benefits of student teaching b/c they have papers, exams, classes, etc. à full time status
· Students should take and pass all required state exams prior to starting student teaching
· Students should be at a certain level of ACTFL proficiency scale prior to starting student teaching
· Encourage study abroad for teachers (OR equivalent local opportunities to practice with native speakers)
· Make students aware of scholarships, fellowships (i.e., AATSP, AATF, NECTFL, Fulbright, etc.) for students to study abroad
· Challenge for chairs: how to recruit the BEST teachers to be mentors/cooperating teachers; credits are not an incentive for some of the best/more experiences à stipends, travel opportunities, etc.
· Encourage (require???) candidates to be members of local, state and national organizations (i.e., LILT, NYSAFLT, ACTFL)
· Have students create a portfolio - online (i.e. a website) or otherwise
    • Pdf files; lessons
    • Photos of candidate working with students
    • videos
· Professional responsibilities (outside of classroom)
    • Socializing out of district (partying, bars, etc.)
    • Dress, appearances
    • Facebook, MySpace, websites à professional image
    • Email address on resume; message on home answering machines/cell phones
    • Spend time before and after school working with cooperating teacher, students, doing lesson planning, etc.
· Districts à provide candidates with a guidebook or handbook
· Weekly meetings between student teachers and chair
· Help student teachers with resumes
· Observe and write up observation reports for student teachers
· Encourage student teachers to attend department meetings, board meetings, etc.
· Facilitate observations of other department teachers (and observation of teachers from other disciplines)
· As chairs, we introduce and include student teacher in department activities
· Perform exit interviews with student teachers to talk about their experiences during the student teaching period
· Cooperating teachers need to be honest with student teachers regarding strengths and weaknesses; chairs provide cooperating teachers with “training” about how to communicate this information to student teachers à “difficult conversations”
· Establish a “common vocabulary” re: observations (i.e., use NCFLRC document to help observe candidates); a list of questions that would help cooperating teachers assess student teachers